The present invention relates to problems with how to achieve a reliable and efficient connection between circuitry in a radio communication device and an extendable and retractable antenna device, which is operable in both extended and retracted position as well as during extension and retraction. This problem is solved by providing an antenna device with radiating means, movable between an extended and a retracted position. The antenna device having a feeding arrangement comprising at least a first connection member (306, 307, 308; 801, 802, 803) electrically coupled to and movable with the radiating means. The feeding arrangement further comprises at least a second connection member (309, 310; 903, 904, 905, 906, 907; 1003, 1004, 1005) arranged for being electrically coupled to the first circuitry and fixedly mounted on a support unit. Moreover, the first connection member being electrically coupled to the second connection member in all positions between and including the extended and retracted positions.
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1. An antenna device for receiving and transmitting RF signals to and from a first circuitry arranged in a radio communication device comprising a radiating means where said radiating means being movable between a first retracted position and a second extended position, at least a first support unit and a feeding arrangement characterized in,
said feeding arrangement comprising at least two first connection members (306, 307, 308; 801, 802, 803) electrically coupled to and movable with said radiating means, said feeding arrangement further comprising at least two second connection members (309, 310; 903, 904, 905, 906, 907; 1003, 1004, 1005) arranged for being electrically coupled to said first circuitry and fixedly mounted on said first support unit, said first and second connection members together forming a transmission line, and said first connection members being electrically coupled to said second connection members in all positions between and including said first and second position.
2. The antenna device according to
said second connection members are an elongated conductive strip having a first open end, said second connection members having a second end connectable to said first circuitry, said first connection members being coupled to said second connection members in said first end when said radiating means being in said first position and, said first connection members being coupled to said second connection members in said second end when said radiating means being in said second position.
3. The antenna device according to
said radiating means comprising means for dividing and combining received and transmitted RF signals, a first elongated conductive strip and a corresponding resilient member is arranged for conducting RF signals to be transmitted by the radiating means from said first circuitry, a second elongated conductive strip and a corresponding resilient member is arranged for conducting RF signals received by the radiating means to said first circuitry, a third elongated conductive strip is arranged between said first and second elongated conductive strips and is connected to ground.
4. The antenna device according to
said first connection members comprising a multitude of resilient conductive members, said second connection members comprising a multitude of elongated conductive strips arranged on one side of a dielectric medium and with a ground plane arranged on an opposite side of said dielectric medium, each resilient conductive member of said multitude of conductive members being arranged to exert a force against a corresponding elongated conductive strip so as to enable electrical coupling between said conductive member and said conductive strip and, each resilient conductive member being arranged to slide along said elongated conductive strip when said radiating means moves between said first and second position.
5. The antenna device according to
at least one of said multitude of elongated conductive strips being coupled to ground.
6. The antenna device according to
said dielectric medium having at least one recess so as to enable a corresponding resilient conductive member to electrically couple to said ground plane.
7. The antenna device according to
at least one of said elongated conductive strips having irregular shaped edges, said irregular shaped edges being adjusted so that the elongated conductive strip having an input impedance seen from a first point where the resilient conductive member connects to the elongated conductive strip and towards said open end which is very large compared to the input impedance seen from said first point and towards the radiating means.
9. The antenna device according to
a first radiating structure arranged for transmitting and receiving circular polarized RF signals and, a second radiating structure arranged for receiving and transmitting RF signals.
10. The antenna device according to
said first radiating structure being arranged for receiving and transmitting RF signals to and from a satellite, and where said second radiating structure being arranged for receiving and transmitting RF signals in a ground based system.
11. The antenna device according to
said radiating means comprising means for dividing and combining received,and transmitted RF signals, a first elongated conductive strip and a corresponding resilient member is arranged for conducting RF signals to be transmitted by said first radiating structure from said first circuitry, a second elongated conductive strip and a corresponding resilient member is arranged for conducting RF signals received by said first radiating structure to said first circuitry, a third elongated conductive strip and a corresponding resilient member is arranged for conducting RF signals to be transmitted by said second radiating structure from said first circuitry, a fourth elongated conductive strip and a corresponding resilient member is arranged for conducting RF signals received by said second radiating structure to said first circuitry and, elongated conductive strips connected to ground being arranged between at least one pair of said first, second, third and fourth elongated conductive strips.
12. The antenna device according to
at least a second circuitry being arranged on said radiating means, further elongated conductive strips and corresponding resilient members in said multitude being arranged for feeding power and control signals to said second circuitry.
13. The antenna device according to
said second circuitry comprising low noise amplifiers, phasing networks, couplers, diplexers or duplexers.
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The present invention relates in general to an antenna device, for receiving and transmitting RF signals with .a sliding connector means, and more specifically to an antenna device for receiving and transmitting RF signals, which is electrically coupled to radio circuitry through a sliding connector during its extension and retraction.
Some of the driving forces of the mobile communication industry today are availability and size. A user of a hand-held mobile communication device requires to be reached wherever his location may be. This puts requirements on the operator to have good coverage of their mobile network, but for large unpopulated or scarcely populated areas, this is not possible with any reasonable economy. One solution for a user who frequently travels to unpopulated locations is to instead use a satellite communication telephone.
Such a user will still have requirements on the size of his satellite communication device, as he undoubtedly will compare his ordinary cellular communication device with his satellite communication device. Since the distance to orbiting or stationary satellites is so great, satellite antennas need to be able to handle very weak signals. The antennas used will thus generally be larger and require less obstacles compared to antennas for cellular communication devices, and will consequently take a considerable amount of the space of a satellite communication device. The need for reducing the size of the antennas for satellite communication devices is thus large and anyone being able to reduce the size for such an antenna will have a considerable competitive advantage.
The somewhat larger antenna unit in a satellite communication device has posed some problems. In one set of prior art antennas the antenna unit can be rotated around an axis so as to fold the antenna unit along one side of the satellite communication device when not in talk position. Thereby, the space taken by the terminal device is considerably less when in a standby mode. One problem, which occurs with this solution, is that the antenna is badly suited to receive paging signals from the satellite in the standby mode. This can be remedied by introducing an extra paging antenna on the top of the satellite communication device specifically designed for receiving signaling in the standby mode. This, however generates a new problem namely with how to switch between the different antennas in dependence of the operating mode.
Another solution requires the satellite device to have a specific position during standby, such as upside down. The U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,628,057 discloses a satellite communication device with an antenna unit connected thereto at a pivot point.
The object of the present invention is thus to achieve a reliable and efficient connection between circuitry in a radio communication device and an extendable and retractable antenna device, which is operable in both extended and retracted position.
Another object of the present invention is to achieve a reliable and efficient connection between circuitry in a radio communication device and an extendable and retractable antenna device, which is operable during extension and retraction.
The problems described above, how to achieve a reliable and efficient connection between circuitry in a radio communication device and an extendable and retractable antenna device, which is operable in both extended and retracted position as well as during extension and retraction, is solved by providing an antenna device with radiating means, movable between a extended and a retracted position. Said antenna device having a feeding arrangement comprising at least a first connection member electrically coupled to and movable with said radiating means. Said feeding arrangement further comprises at least a second connection member arranged for being electrically coupled to said first circuitry and fixedly mounted on a support unit. Moreover, said first connection member being electrically coupled to said second connection member in all positions between and including said extended and retracted positions.
In more detail the objects of the present invention are obtained, according to a first embodiment, by providing an antenna device according to the above, wherein said first connection member comprises a multitude of resilient conductive members. Said second connection member comprising a multitude of elongated conductive strips arranged on one side of a dielectric medium and with a ground plane arranged on an opposite side of said dielectric medium. Each resilient conductive member of said multitude of conductive members being arranged to exert a force against a corresponding elongated conductive strip so as to enable electrical coupling between said conductive member and said conductive strip. Each resilient conductive member being arranged to slide along said elongated conductive strip when said radiating means moves between said first and second positions.
According to another embodiment, the objects of the present invention are obtained by providing an antenna device according to the above, wherein said antenna device further comprises a switch. Said switch being arranged for disconnecting said second connection member and connecting said first circuitry to said radiating means when said radiating means is in said second position.
According to another embodiment, the objects of the present invention are obtained by providing an antenna device according to the above, wherein at least one of said elongated conductive strips having irregular shaped edges. Said irregular shaped edges being adjusted so that the elongated conductive strip having an input impedance, seen from a first point where the resilient conductive member connects to the elongated conductive strip when said radiating element is in extended position, and towards said open end which is very large compared to the input impedance seen from said first points and towards the radiating means. These irregular shaped edges can for instance be obtained by protrusions and/or recesses.
An advantage with the present invention is that a reliable connection between the circuitry in a radio communication device and an extendable radiating means is obtained in extended and retracted position as well as during extension and retraction.
Another advantage with the present invention is that the shortest possible electrical transmission distance is kept between the radiating element and the radio circuitry in both extended and retracted position.
An advantage, according to one embodiment of the invention, is that several independent, electrically separate connections between circuitry in a radio communication device and an extendable radiating means can be obtained easily and reliably.
An advantage, according to one embodiment of the invention, is that power and control signals can easily and reliably be fed to circuitry located on the radiating means.
An advantage, according to one embodiment of the invention, is that transmitted and received signals can be conducted on separate lines between the radiating means and the circuitry in the radio communication device.
An advantage, according to one embodiment of the invention, is that signals to different radiating elements, arranged for receiving and transmitting RF signals in different systems can be conducted on separate lines between the radiating means and the circuitry in the radio communication device.
Another advantage, according to one embodiment of the invention, is that said elongated conductive strip may have irregular shaped edges, such as protrusions or recesses, so that the elongated strip is to be regarded as an open circuit when said radiating means is in its extended position.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention and wherein
The patch antenna 102 can be avoided if the radio communication device is positioned up side-down. The primary antenna 101 would then be pointing essentially upwards, towards the communication satellite, and would be able to receive paging signals.
If an extra antenna unit or awkward positioning requirements is to be avoided an extendable antenna unit may be used instead. With an extendable and retractable antenna unit, the same antenna unit may be used for paging signals as well as for use in talk position.
During manufacturing, the use of coaxial cables would introduce some problems. It is difficult to mount the cable connection to the connections in the circuitry and the radiating means in an efficient manner. If several different connections between the radiating means 202 and the circuitry 203 is needed each new coaxial cable increase the difficulties in the manufacturing process. Therefore is the use of coaxial cable connections a feasible but a cumbersome and expensive solution. The connections and the cable will also introduce unnecessary losses in the transmission of signals between the circuitry 203 and the radiating means 202. This has its greatest disadvantage when the radiating element is in its extended position and the geometric distance between the circuitry and the radiating element is relatively short but the distance using coaxial cables is still relatively long.
The first, second and third connector member are so called pogo pins, telescoping contacts with spring action, mounted on, and movable with the radiating means 302. The fourth, fifth and sixth connector members are elongated conductive strips mounted on a dielectric medium with conductive backside coupled to ground and fixedly attached to the casing of the radio communication device. The casing thus act as a support member to the elongated conductive strips. The pogo pins 306, 307 and 308 are resilient, spring loaded and exert a force on elongated conductive strips 309, 310 and 311 so as to enable electrical coupling between the first and fourth, the second and fifth and the third and sixth connector member, respectively. Thus, electrical coupling is achieved between the circuitry 303 and the radiating means 302 when the radiating means is in retracted and extended position as well as in all positions between. For RF signals the transmission characteristics of the transmission line from the circuitry to the radiating element via the connector members will vary during extension and retraction as disclosed in FIG. 6.
In
The radiating means further comprises a first radiating element 312. The first radiating element consists of a number N, where N being an integer, greater than 1, of conductive, helical strips arranged for receiving and transmitting circular polarized RF signals. It would of course also be possible to use any other radiating means suitable for receiving and transmitting circular polarized RF signals, such as helical conductive wires. The first radiating element 312 is connected, through a phasing network, to the first connector member 306 and further through the fourth connector member 309 to the circuitry 303.
A second radiating element is denoted 313 and is arranged for receiving and transmitting planar polarized RF signals such as is used for earth based radio communication, for instance GSM, DECT, AMPS, DAMPS, PCS etc. The second radiating element is connected to the third connector member 308 and further through the sixth connector member 311 to the circuitry 303.
A protective cap is denoted 314 and is only partly shown for sake of clarity. The cap 314 also comprises guiding protrusions (not shown) which connects with corresponding guiding surfaces positioned on the surrounding walls (not shown). Alternatively, the guiding profiles may be positioned on a support, arranged for supporting the first radiating element 312.
A second radiating element is denoted 1209 and is a helical conductive coil arranged for receiving and transmitting RF signals in for instance the GSM, DECT or AMPS systems. The second radiating element is positioned inside the support 1204 and is connected to circuitry in a radio communication device through fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth connector members denoted 1210, 1211, 1212 and 1213 in a similar way as was described for said first radiating element. However, no phasing network or diplexers are generally required. Ninth and tenth connector members denoted 1214 and 1215 are used for carrying signal ground from the circuitry. Said second, fourth, sixth, eight and tenth connector members are mounted on a dielectric medium or carrier 1216 which on the backside has a ground plane 1217.
It would of course also be possible to have separate signal ground strips between every signal carrying strip, or several signal ground strips surrounding on signal strip etc.
One advantage with using strips compared to coaxial connections is that loss in connections and transmission is significantly reduced.
As disclosed in
It is of course also possible to combine different aspects of the different embodiments to achieve a multiple of new slightly different embodiments. These slightly new embodiments are also intended to be included in the conceptual scope of the invention.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
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